


The Other Woman

by LexLemon



Category: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)
Genre: Angst, Before Sugar Plum was evil, Declarations Of Love, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, I just want these girls to be happy, Jealous Ginger, Mentions of Marie Stahlbaum, Mother Ginger’s insecure, Pre-Canon, difficult conversations, not quite a happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-20
Updated: 2020-09-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:20:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26552749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LexLemon/pseuds/LexLemon
Summary: Sugar Plum’s recently been spending a lot of time with Marie, and it’s proving to be too much for Ginger to bear.
Relationships: Mother Ginger/Sugar Plum Fairy (The Nutcracker)
Kudos: 5





	The Other Woman

Mother Ginger sat before her vanity in her chamber of the Main Palace. Night had fallen over the Four Realms, and the stars were twinkling above in the darkness like little dots. There was a warm glow in her room thanks to the lanterns burning against the walls, making the space feel cozy in the late hours.

Ginger unfurled her orange hair by each strand and brushed through it, untangling it from the mess it had become thanks to all the work she'd done that day. As she sat in front of the mirror, her ears rang with the sound of her beloved's chirping from the other side of the room.

The Sugar Plum Fairy laid across their bed on her stomach, her legs dangling off the side. She propped her head up in her hands as she rambled, every word rushing out in a single breath with the largest smile.

"Marie and I went to one of the kitchens in the Land of Sweets today and tried to bake a cake together. It was quite delicious, but the decorating was very messy. Marie had frosting on her nose, so I tried to clean it off but ended up having some on myself as well. Oh, we laughed and laughed."

Ginger made a low chuckle alongside Sugar Plum's high-pitched one as she brushed one side of her hair. "Well, it sounds as if you had a wonderful day with our queen."

"Oh yes. But the fun didn't end there."

Ginger tensed up at this, and her face grew more rigid as she stared at her reflection. She ignored the pounding of her heart within her chest and continued brushing, not noticing how much faster her strokes seemed to be.

With her head in the clouds, Sugar Plum continued, "Afterwards, we went to the Land of Snowflakes to ice skate. Marie is getting much better at it, Ginger. She only slipped and fell once!"

"Mmmm." Ginger loosened the other side of her hair and began to brush it, her eyes beginning to narrow as she clenched her jaw.

"Of course, I helped her up after her fall, but I simply couldn't help myself. I had to laugh. But Marie laughed as well, and she stood right back up and continued skating. She's always very good about that type of thing. She's very brave, you know."

"Yes, I know." Ginger was a little frightened of how tense her voice had become, but she couldn't stop it. Her whole body had become stiff in her seat, but she needed to finish this task. She only had a few more strokes.

Sugar Plum soon said, "And then, Marie and I went to the Land of Flowers to warm up. And we sat in the gardens for...oh, it had to have been hours." She let out a blissful sigh. "Isn't Marie wonderful, Ginger? It's simply impossible not to love her."

"That's quite enough!"

Ginger whipped her head around with a glare, her voice raised to a loud volume. She regretted it the moment she saw the shock on Sugar Plum's face, her skin becoming much paler than its usual tone.

Ginger turned forward in shame and set down her brush, lowering her head towards her lap. "I'm sorry, Sugar Plum. I didn't mean to shout. I simply don't want to hear anymore about Marie tonight."

"Oh, but why?" Sugar Plum asked as she lowered her arms to the bed. "Did I say something wrong?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, you have. I have wanted to do all of those things with you. Baking and ice skating and visiting the gardens."

"But every time I've asked you, you said you were busy with your new invention."

Ginger let out a tired sigh. "I finished it days ago. And I've tried to tell you that several times, but you would already be out with Marie. Am I that easy to forget, Sugar Plum?"

"Oh, no. That's not it at all, Ginger." Sugar Plum sat up on the bed and folded her hands in her lap, her face growing small. "I do all of those things with Marie because she's our queen. She's my best friend."

Ginger felt tears spring to her eyes, and she slightly turned her head to look at Sugar Plum out of the corner of them. Hurt creeping into her voice, she asked, "Is that all she is?"

Sugar Plum slowly nodded. "Yes. Yes, that's all. Oh, Ginger..."

She pushed herself off the bed and walked over to Ginger at the vanity. She sat on her knees and let her purple dress flow out around her, taking Ginger's hands into hers.

"Is that what this is about? Do you think I don't love you anymore?"

Ginger couldn't bring herself to look her in the eye, giving her her answer.

Squeezing her hand, Sugar Plum said, "Ginger, of course I still love you. I told you, I was only with Marie because I believed you were still working. And I'm sorry I didn't think to ask. I know the way I speak with the other members of the Realms can be bothersome to you, and it's very hard for me to resist doing so. But I never mean any of it. My heart only belongs to you. Do you know why?"

Ginger allowed herself to look into her beloved's eyes, life slowly returning to them at the sight of her warm brown irises.

Sugar Plum's voice cracked as she softly said, "You don't leave me. Marie o-only stays here until she feels her adventure is over. Then, she leaves us all alone. I know that you would never do that. You love it here. You want to stay and create all your contraptions here in the Realms. I know that if I ever need you for something, I can always find you. No matter what I do, you're still here. I treasure that more than anything."

Sugar Plum pushed herself up on her knees so she could be level with her love. "You're the one I love, Ginger. And I will never leave you. I promise."

Ginger let out a breath she'd been holding, releasing everything that had bubbled up from within. On an impulse, she leaned in to give her a deep kiss, her lips feeling soft against hers. Sugar Plum embraced every moment of it, and she pressed herself against them several times. Once they pulled away, the two smiled at each other.

Ginger said, "Thank you, Sugar Plum. I know that now. And I love you with my entire heart." She squeezed her hands then stood up from her seat. "I believe it's time for bed, my dear. We've both had very long days."

Sugar Plum let out a giggle and pulled her towards the bed, where the two pushed themselves under the covers. They exchanged one more kiss before turning out the lanterns, sending the room into darkness.

As she turned her body towards the window and away from Ginger, Sugar Plum stared out at the horizon of the Realms. She tried to shove her feelings as far down as she could, but she was unable to deny the reality that what she felt towards Marie was growing to be much stronger than friendship.


End file.
